.de metropoleruhr www.

Bislicher Insel Riverside meadowlands in the Lower region Large-scale natur conservation project of the federal government

Regionalverband 2 Die Bislicher Insel The construction of canals and damming of riverbeds, straigh- tening banks and regulating the water economy, this char- ming landscape has almost Meadowlands is what we call entirely disappeared. the fairytale river landscape On the island Bislicher Insel where the banks are lined with near , some fragments reeds, rustling black poplars, can still be found of one of the shady alders, elms and willows last Lower Rhine wetlands and on verdant grasslands, dream- its typical diversity of flora and like at dawn and in the fauna. twilight when the mists are This landscape is now a nature rising. preserve, of course, and is one The rich vegetation lives off of the largest inland “Wetlands the regular flooding of the ri- of International Importance” in ver, sweeping in the seeds of . all kinds of plants, which sprout in the rich earth. But that is how it once was.

Fringed water-lily

3 White-fronted geese

How the island dykes around 1820, the loop of the meandering Rhine began was created to transform into land. The southwestern and sou- The 1,200 hectares of Bislicher thern parts of the loop have Insel on side of the Lo- survived this process, and have wer Rhine between Xanten and the characteristics of a body of are located in a loop of standing water. It is only during the meandering Rhine. rare flooding events that Bis- It became an island, and got its licher Insel actually becomes name, when the Rhine was an island surrounded by water. straightened around 1786 by This landscape has been sha- the construction of the Bis- ped not just by the river, but licher Kanal to the north of the also by the chain of artificial island. lakes created by gravel mining Soon thereafter, the main flow excavations, with their steep of the Rhine shifted there. After banks, islands and headlands. the new course of the river was Various wetland ecosystems reinforced with jetties and have developed with plant spe-

4 cies whose area mosaic is typi- culturally as hayfields or for gra- cal for the meadowlands. zing make ideal “landing zones” Many species of bird live here, for numerous migratory birds. including some threatened with Up to 25,000 Scandinavian and extinction. Herons and cormo- Siberian wild geese thus make rants make their homes around their winter camp here. these extensive lakes. The largest colony of cormo- Nature conservation rants in North Rhine-Westpha- lia can be found here. Oyster- programme for the catchers, great crested grebes, future bald coots, diving ducks and water rails also live here, as do The idyll of Bislicher Insel is a wood pigeons, spotted woodpe- second-hand paradise. Created ckers and black-tailed godwits. by humans, the responsibility Ospreys are regular visitors, for its continued existence, for and sea eagles are increasingly maintaining and for changes in amongst the winter guests. this valuable nature preserve White storks breed here suc- also lies with mankind. cessfully, and beavers participa- A large part of Bislicher Insel te in shaping the landscape. has been in the possession of With their cropped vegetation, the Regionalverband Ruhr (Ruhr the extensive areas used agri- Regional Association) since 1982.

White stork

5 Together with the District of Insel is the reintroduction of a Wesel, the biological station natural hardwood and soft- located here and the voluntary wood wetland, as it used to be nature conservationists, a care found along the Rhine. and development plan has After the removal of trees not been drafted and ecosystem appropriate to the location, such development measures have as the hybrid poplar, nature has been taken. for years been left to take over The Bislicher Insel nature con- these areas. servation project is supported The natural process of wood- with federal and state funds, land development through self- and scientifically accompanied seeding (succession) has again by the Bundesamt für Natur- already spread tree species here schutz (Federal Agency for such as the alder, ash, willow Nature Conservation) and the and black poplar, which will Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt form the basis for the future und Verbraucherschutz NRW wetlands forest that will be (State Agency for Nature, the appropriate to the location. Environment and Consumer The steep banks of the artificial Protection of North Rhine- lakes created on Bislicher Insel Westphalia). through gravel mining excava- One of the main objectives in tion have been partially levelled the central area of Bislicher in order to create habitats in

Bislicher Insel meadowlands

6 the shallow waters for amphibi- ans, plants and insects, as well as spawning grounds for fish. The bodies of water have been connected with each other in order to create a network of habitats. Parking lots and roads have been broken up and removed in order to leave as little soil as possible sealed within the nature preser- ve, and to allow natural develop- ment to take hold. Deer Two camping grounds have been cleared, demolished and Alongside this, the maintenance returned to nature. and development of traditional Concrete and tarmac have been back-garden-type orchards, for removed, as have pipelines, ca- example, and other typical ele- bles and equipment left behind ments of the cultural landscape as refuse. are to be encouraged as well. The individual lots had been The ultimate objective for the kept by the campers like gar- further development of the dens, and planted with trees, entire area of Bislicher Insel is flowers and bushes, sometimes the encouragement of wet- with exotic plants and conife- lands-oriented processes. rous trees that are not native This mainly consists in making here. it possible again for the water Although very pretty to look at, of the Rhine to flow through this is not appropriate vegeta- the areas and once again take a tion for the meadowlands. part in shaping the vegetation. Here, too, artificial planting has Only in this way can meadow- been progressively suppressed lands develop in the long term. by locally appropriate tree spe- The new construction of the cies in the process of natural dyke away from the Rhine and succession. a flood channel, and the plan- Agriculture on Bislicher Insel is ned upstream and downstream to be planned in harmony with connection to the Rhine, the nature and based on concepts first steps towards the achieve- oriented towards wetlands eco- ment of this goal have already systems. been initiated.

7 Geese at sunset

Protecting nature Mountain-biking, swimming in natural bodies of water, riding, ice-skating, lighting a campfire, camping, letting dogs run free, walking off the paths: all these The meadowlands should not things sound like harmless lei- become a mere legend for co- sure fun. ming generations. Unfortunately, these activities The continued existence and damage the sensitive areas of the development of these types nature. Many bird species, am- of landscape require commit- phibians, reptiles, insects are ment and action, just as much too sensitive, many plant eco- as conscious restraint. systems too fragile to cope Such unique landscapes can be with serious interference. irreparably destroyed sooner The nature reserve is therefore than feared. not suitable for the leisure acti- Often even just normal leisure vities specified. activities can be enough to cause lasting damage.

8 Bislicher Insel exhibition “AuenGeschichten” (“Wetlands Stories”), travelling NaturForum exhibitions, and numerous na- ture discovery and environmen- tal education programmes, and The former farmhouse of Eylän- can learn about subjects such der Hof, purchased by the as nature conservation in gene- Regionalverband Ruhr, has been ral, nature watching, wetlands converted with funding from development, and the cultural the Deutsche Bundesstiftung landscape in the Lower Rhine Umwelt (German Federal Foun- area. The NaturForum serves as dation for the Environment) the starting point for guided into the NaturForum Bislicher nature study tours of the nature Insel, an information and com- preserve. petency centre for nature con- Special guided tours are avai- servation and flood control. Vi- lable for large groups and sitors can see the permanent school classes upon request.

Little owls

9 NaturForum

10 Bildunterschrift blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext blindtext

This is how you find us... Driving from Wesel, take the B58 and B57, and from , Xanten or , take the B57. On the B57, drive to the junction with Gelderner Strasse and take the exit for the Rhine and Bislicher Insel. At the restaurant “Zur Rheinfähre”, turn right onto Eyländer Weg, and after around 2 km, you will reach the NaturForum Bislicher Insel on the left-hand side of the road. View point

11 Imprint

Regionalverband Ruhr Photos: Ruhr Grün Hans Glader, Christoph Sprave, Kronprinzenstraße 35 RVR Ruhr Grün Germany 45128 Essen Print: Phone +49 (0) 201 2069-0 Set Point Medien, Kamp-Lintfort Fax + 49 (0) 201 2069-500 www.metropoleruhr.de Essen, January 2012

Information/Opening hours:

■ NaturForum Bislicher Insel, Bislicher Insel 11, Germany 46509 Xanten, Telephone: +49 (0) 2801 988230, Fax: +49 (0) 2801 9882312, [email protected] www.naturforum-bislicher-insel.de

■ Opening hours: From 1 November to 23 December and from 2 January to 31 March Tue to Sun 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Closed Monday. Closed from 24 December to 1 January. From 1 April to 31 October Tue to Sun 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Closed Monday.